<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Fishy Business by FanFicReader01</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23447131">Fishy Business</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFicReader01/pseuds/FanFicReader01'>FanFicReader01</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Crack, Disaster Dads, Disaster Gays, Eggs, Fantasy, M/M, Mermaids, Mermen, Original Character(s), merfolk, parenting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:54:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,194</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23447131</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFicReader01/pseuds/FanFicReader01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Karlus is just a regular guy with a regular shitty job at the beach until he finds a mysterious egg.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Just a normal day at the job</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Self indulgent story about my OCs in yet another universe :P</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I should probably be happy about getting the job. But it’s kind of difficult if your boss is a major dickhead and leaves the ‘easy’ and ‘dirty’ chores to you. I was actually listed as a lifeguard rookie but the people in charge here, including the main lifeguard Jeff, decided to downgrade my job to the ‘trash boy’ who has to clean up after other people’s messes. Real fun.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Exhibit A:</em>
</p><p>“Hey, Karlus, help a fellow lifeguard out and fetch him some beer!”</p><p>  “Are you even supposed to drink?”</p><p>“I’m in charge here, you don’t have to lecture me”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Exhibit B:</em>
</p><p>“Oh, sir, could you help me catch Mimi, she escaped.”</p><p>Mimi turned out to be a cat. Who takes their cat to a beach?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Exhibit C:</em>
</p><p>A group of youngsters holding a party and I of course had to clean up the half empty trays, the bottles and cans and the… condoms? Yikes.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Exhibit D:</em>
</p><p>For the one time someone seemed to be in danger, the ‘Real Hero’ was flirting with some chicks, completely ignoring my warning. So I set out myself, putting my fresh skills to the test.</p><p>But of course, as soon as Jeff noticed, he took over the role and pushed me aside.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>After spending almost the whole day on the beach and in the sun, my skin feels like burning. And that’s coming from a guy who already has a dark skin.</p><p>Tired and frustrated I am picking up the trash with a special hook so I no longer have to pick up the nasty with my bare hands or some stinky glove. I’m glad I got that ‘promotion’. At least something making these two weeks mean something.</p><p>Grumbling and stumbling I strut over the sand which is finally starting to cool down. After I filled an entire trash bag, I walk to the closest container. But first I make a quick detour via the water as refreshment. The mild sea water rushes over my feet. For a moment I close my eyes and can pretend I’m not some garbage boy cleaning up everyone’s shit. In my track, one foot suddenly bumps into something and I trip over. I curse, using all possible swear words that exist under this unforgiving sun. My face makes an ungraceful landing into the damp sand and I quickly close my eyes so I won’t get the salty water in it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A helpful hand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The following day I continue my shitty job but try to be on the lookout of anything strange that could imply there’s an owner to the egg. Jeff makes some fun of me as usual but otherwise doesn’t get involved with what I’m doing. Around the afternoon, my shift is luckily over but I keep hanging around a bit. This time I walk to the rocky part of the beach, still on the lookout. When there are no signs of merfolk I laugh out loud. Silly me really thought they existed.</p><p> </p><p>Back at my apartment, I still look for some extra information. Only because I’m curious if I could make this ‘mermaid’ egg hatch. I get onto another fantasy site that talks a bit about merfolk in their early stages. The eggs are often kept warm in a special nest made of seaweed and sand or whatever marine plants are available. Both parents take turns of keeping the eggs close to them. After two months, the eggs will hatch. I am actually surprised these eggs are kept above the water at times.</p><p>I go to the local animal shop in the city to buy some supplies. My college friend Maria works there. The shop belongs to her grandfather who still runs the shop.</p><p>When I enter the shop, Maria is still helping a client but when she’s done, she approaches me in the aquarium section.</p><p> “What’s a guy like you doing in a shop like this?”</p><p>I sheepishly turn around and counter: “What’s a cute building like you doing in a girl like this?’</p><p> “No seriously, Karlus, besides annoying me as usual, I don’t remember you looking for or having a pet. At least not a normal animal pet.”</p><p>I chuckle and roll my eyes. “Change of plans, sweetheart.” Before continuing, I make sure no one else is listening in. I lean closer to her and whisper: “You’re going to call me crazy, but I found a mermaid egg!”</p><p>For a solid minute it’s silent between the two of us before Maria bursts out in laughter and then asking me if I hadn’t drank too much. Her laughter gets the attention of her grandfather José. He comes between us and asks what’s going on. I try to play it off but my friend tells him.</p><p> “Crazy, right? I think Karlus has finally lost his mind for real!”</p><p>I expected her grandfather to agree but not to disagree with her and take my side.</p><p> “Karlito, tell me what did the egg look like? Was it like the size of an ostrich egg, with dark dots, a bit translucent? As if it was otherworldly, something that doesn’t fit in?”</p><p>I stare at the old man with a dropped jaw. “Yes.” The next thing the old man does, is go to the front of the shop, lock the door and turn the welcome board to the other side that says ‘closed’ on it. Then he walks us into the back of the shop where his desk is. An old school computer that looks more like some sci-fi box rests on a scrappy looking table.</p><p> </p><p>“Grandpa, what was that all about?!” Maria exclaims, now equally confused as me.</p><p> “What you have found, Karlito, is something very rare… almost forbidden!”</p><p>‘Ehm… so those mermaid stories are real?” I hesitatingly assume but José is nodding in all seriousness.</p><p> “Almost everything you may read is true, or based on forgotten knowledge.”</p><p>He taps on the chairs and my friend and I sit down with him.</p><p> “Humans used to hunt merfolk. They were especially seen as a delicacy back when my grandfather was a young boy.”</p><p> “You never told me that kind of story!” Maria said with an offended tone.</p><p>Her grandfather sighs and shakes his head. “It was a shame in our family after hunting for merfolk became illegal. My parents told me to never talk about it, so that part of our history may be forgotten.”</p><p> “Well, there’s still quite the information out there on the net,” I snort.</p><p>“Not all is trustworthy. Lots of people also must’ve made up things. Those articles are often written by younger generations,” José points out.</p><p> “So… What am I supposed to do now?”</p><p>“I’d say go back to the sea and find the parents. But I guess you already tried that.”</p><p> I nod.</p><p>“Then you should try to raise it on your own. Maybe I can help you out with the basics. But therefore, I’ll have to go into the attic. It’s where I’ve hid my own journals on merfolk.”</p><p> “Abuelo, you can’t go up there. Think about your back!” María warns him. “I can go fetch the book for you, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>María and I go to her grandparents’ apartment. It’s only one block away from the shop.</p><p> “I can’t believe my abuelo never told me about this history. It’s wild!”</p><p>I laugh and agree. “What’s even wilder, is that merfolk still exist apparently. And I am going to take care of one.”</p><p> “You of all people,” María rolls her eyes and friendly bump into her. but she has a point. I don’t really see myself as a good parental figure. Heck, I find it difficult to take care of myself, let alone some baby, a little critter.</p><p>When we get to the apartment, I’m welcomed by abuelita. She offers us some drinks but we say we’re kind of in a hurry. Luckily, she doesn’t ask why.</p><p>After a lot of searching in the dusty attic, we find the book and return to the shop. Not long after that, the Sáenz family has set me up with the super basic tools of what I need to make a mermaid egg hatch. This certainly is going to be a wild journey.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Back home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Once I’m home, I fill my bathtub till the brink. I add a pack of salt that I still had in the kitchen. I stir it into the lukewarm water and then add the sea props to make the egg feel more at home. In the end, my tub looks like some poor aquarium. No more showers for me I guess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After I covered the egg in the sand and seaweed, I return to the living room. Outside my window I see a storm coming. It starts with a downpour but soon thunderous noises and lightning are added into the mix. I drop onto the couch and see that María has texted me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>M: Everything alright over there?</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>U: Sure, home just before the storm hit</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>M: Good</b>
</p><p>
  <b>So what are you going to do now?</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>U: Make sure the egg will hatch, what else? Didn’t find the parents so</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>M: Yeah, true. Just keep me updated</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>U: will do ;)</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I watch some sappy movie, check the egg a final time and go to bed. I guess the first two months will be easy when there’s no actual critter swimming around.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Gone fishing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I feel like I had barely closed my eyes when I suddenly get a phone call. Annoyed and with my eyes still shut I answer it.</p><p> “What in the fu-”</p><p>“Save me your rambles, Karlus. This is your boss speaking. Get your lazy ass up. You godda clean the beach section.”</p><p>Now I do open my eyes to look at the time.</p><p> “For fucks sake, it’s bloody five AM,” I snort into my phone.</p><p>“You still wanna get paid or not?”</p><p> “Alright, alright. I’m on it. But you better pay me those extra hours,” I hiss and hang up. Five AM, my boss is insane.</p><p>“It’s better than being jobless. And homeless,” I keep telling myself as I ready for the day. I put on some cargo shorts, the T-shirt of yesterday is already on me and I add a hoodie to keep me a bit warm. Shops are of course still closed so I go to my fridge, hoping I still have some snack left. I leave with a can of beer and an expired donut.</p><p> </p><p>As expected, nobody is on the beach yet. The aftermath of the storm is clearly visible and there are still grim looking clouds hanging above the sea. I groan as I step out of my car. A cold breeze greets me, making every hair on my leg stand up. I take out the multiple trash bags from my trunk and get to work. When the first, weak beams of the sun strike onto the beach, I notice something up ahead in the waves. Quickly I realise it’s a person washed ashore. I dump my trash hook and bag and hurry over to the person. It’s a man. His otherwise pale, even grey complexion gets disrupted by his colourful orange, pinkish hair.</p><p> “Don’t worry, I got you!” I exclaim and kneel down.</p><p>I try to carefully turn the man onto his side to let out possible water in his mouth but as soon as I touch his hair, I feel the hair doesn’t feel like hair and before I can get a better look at him, I get an electric shock. I scream and fall back. After my initial and literal shock, I crouch closer again. I see that the hair looks more like those anemone plant things in the ocean. That’s… odd. Now I also notice how this ‘man’ doesn’t have human ears but something fin like in the place. My eyes wander lower. The upper body is human like but the lower I go, the weirder it gets. An elongated fish tail or so it seems. Is this… a merman? The lower body is caught in fishing nets and two hooks. It looks really painful. Carefully I try to remove the nets and the hooks. When I tug out one hook, the entire body jolts and I get another electrocution. It renders me immobile for a solid minute.</p><p> “I’m going to get you out of here,” I mutter to the mysterious fish man. I decide to leave the remaining hook as it is. At home, I’ll try to remove it properly but for now I have to get this guy out of here. I remember how José had warned me to not let anybody else know about the mermaid egg so I figure it’d be also a disaster if authorities would find this fish man.</p><p> It’s a difficult task to get the merman off the beach. At one point I accidentally drop him into the sand. Damn it, Karlus, think! I look at one of my empty trash bags. I put the creature on it and pull on the bag to drag him to my car. I’m glad I parked nearby. For a second I look at my abandoned trash bag the beach. Then I look at the unconscious merman. This, <em>he</em> is more important than my job. Jeff and co can suck it. When I’m in my car I look at the time. It’s already a half past six.</p><p>My car is small and it’s another struggle to get fish boy inside. I lay him in the back seats. Awkwardly I put the seatbelts on him so he won’t fall off the couch when I race off to my apartment. First I make sure nobody is outside. Then I pick the guy up and take him into the elevator. I pray nobody is going for their morning walk or jog right now. But the tides are on my side and I encounter absolutely no one on my way to my room.</p><p> </p><p>The first thing I do, is lay the fish man on my couch. Secondly, I lock my door and make sure my curtains remain shut. Then I check in on the egg, wrap it in some old towels and put it on my closed toilet seat. Then I bring the merman to my bathtub and carefully lower him. I sit down and watch as his head slowly plops into the water. Although the water has become a bit filthy, I can now see gills around his neck activate and then the merman opens his eyes. Illegally beautiful blue eyes stare into mine for what seems the longest seconds ever. He flutters his eyes and looks around him before panicking. His tail sweeps dangerously and a gallon of water washes over the edge of the tub.</p><p> “Careful, careful! You’ll hurt yourself!” I shout.</p><p>A sting of pain is then readable in the merman’s face before he lowers himself, only his eyes coming out of the water.</p><p> “I actually saved you, you know? If others had found you, they might’ve… I don’t know. Anyway, I mean no harm. I want to help you. I’m going to help you remove that hook, if you let me.” I reach over to the guy but then he grabs my hand and I feel a shock go through me.</p><p> “Hey! I’m just trying to help!” I growl.</p><p>He hisses at me. I groan, throw my hands helplessly in the air and get up. I throw a look at the egg. Now the merman notices it too. He raises himself out of the water with his arms but slips and falls back into the water, spilling more.</p><p> “Easy there!” I yell alarmed. “Don’t hurt yourself.”</p><p>The man gives me a scowl. His hand clawing toward the egg.</p><p> “Is it- is it yours?” I guess. The merman nods. “Oh, okay. I think it’s better if it lays here for a moment until I get you patched up. I-, I’m no doctor. Or veterinarian, whatever applies to your kind. So I’m going to call a friend of mine.”</p><p> <em>“No</em>.”</p><p>“Did you just speak?”</p><p> “Y-yes.”</p><p>“Oh god, you understand me! So you shocked me on purpose!”</p><p> “Yes. I still can’t trust you,” the merman hisses. Now it’s my time to give him an angry look.</p><p>“I’m trying to save you and your stupid egg. I could’ve easily cooked it up or throw it away. And I could’ve let you lay there on the beach!”</p><p> “What’s your name?”</p><p>“No, you haven’t helped me out and-, urgh. Well, you can call me Karlus.”</p><p> “M-my name is Hob.”</p><p>“Good. Thank, you, <em>Hob</em>. Now will you let me help you or not?”</p><p>Hob looks at the egg that’s safely hurdled up in towels. He lowers his gaze and mutters: “Okay. I-, thank you for saving me. And that egg. My egg.”</p><p> “You’re welcome. Now I’m going to text a friend. She can help me with that hook. Does it hurt a lot?”</p><p>The merman grimaces in reply.</p><p> “Just stay put, okay?”</p><p>“Please, give me the egg first,” Hob begs. I roll my eyes and pick up the egg.</p><p> “If you don’t electrocute me,” I say.</p><p>“Promised.”</p><p> “Good.”</p><p> </p><p>I text with María on the other side of the bathroom. Luckily she’s able to get off the job and come over. In the meantime I go back to my bathroom and look for my own first-aid kits. I feel Hob’s curious eyes on me.</p><p> “This is strange place.”</p><p>“Welcome to the human world,” I snigger half amused.</p><p> “Karlus…”</p><p>“Yes?” I look up. Hob is looking in front of him. His arms securing the egg. No, <em>cradling</em> the egg.</p><p> “Funny name. I think I will trust you.”</p><p>I laugh. “You’ll have to. You might have to stay here a bit longer.”</p><p> “What?!”</p><p>“You don’t seem in a condition to be able to swim,” I say. Hob grumbles but there’s not much he can do about it.</p><p>My words get confirmed by the time María is with us. I have to keep Hob in place when she wriggles out the hook and tends to his wounds. I didn’t expect a merman to cry for some reason, but Hob did. New, fresh tears rolling out of his eyes when María seals the wounds. Once she’s done both she and I feel a slight shock go through our body. I throw Hob a look. María sneers at him before leaving the room. I give the fish man one final look before walking after my friend.</p><p> “I’m sure he didn’t mean to.”</p><p>“We just helped him!” María shouts. “Anyway, I’m going back to the pet shop. Make sure that fish doesn’t move his tail too much. After a week you can replace the bandage.”</p><p> “María, wait! Aand-, she’s gone.”</p><p>Frustrated I go back to the bathroom where Hob is focusing on his egg again.</p><p> “What was that for?”</p><p>“She hurt me!”</p><p> “She tried to help. Without her, your wounds would’ve been still open. A little gratitude would’ve been great!”</p><p> “I can’t help it. It’s my… instincts,” Hob mutters.</p><p>“To electrocute the ones who try to help you?” I huff. To that, he doesn’t have an answer. I sigh. “Alright, I’ll leave you be. You have to rest if you want to heal.”</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>